PREVALENCE OF AVOCADO ALLERGY AMONG ATOPIC PATIENTS

A 41-year-old woman with known food allergy to avocado was treated for anaphylaxis after eating a meal containing avocado. This prompted a s tudy to determine the prevalence of avocado induced symptoms and skin reactivity in a group of atopic patients. One hundred consecutive atop ic patients with allergic rhinitis undergoing skin testing before init iation of immunotherapy were also prick skin tested to avocado. Patien ts with symptoms upon avocado ingestion were also assessed for specifi c serum IgE antibodies to avocado. Of the 100 atopic patients not sele cted for avocado sensitivity, 21 had positive prick skin tests to avoc ado. Eight of the 21 avocado skirt test positive patients reported tha t symptoms repeatedly followed the ingestion of avocado; two reported systemic reactions, but six noted oral symptoms only. Serum IgE antibo dies to avocado were elevated in seven. of the eight patients reportin g symptoms after eating avocado. Seven of the eight patients also repo rted oval symptoms following cantaloupe ingestion. Four reported simil ar symptoms upon eating banana. Avocado-induced symptoms occurred in 8 % of 100 consecutive atopic allergic rhinitis patients unselected for avocado reactivity. Oral, and less frequently systemic, allergy sympto ms appear to be more common among the atopic population than previousl y appreciated.